1. Energy Poverty in Croatia
Slavica Robić, MSc
Society for Sustainable Development Design

2. www.door.hr About DOOR NGO, founded in 2003 in Zagreb, Croatia
Sustainable energy development
Transition to Low-Carbon Society
Alleviating Energy Poverty

3. Intro to energy poverty in Croatia
Presenting the problem
Demonstrating the solution

4. Causes and consequences of energy poverty
Lack of finances, inability to improve EE and to afford adequate energy services
Consequences
Cold (or too hot) and damp homes, debt, disconnections, sickness, hunger, excessive winter deaths
Energy poor typically come from vulnerable groups, live in inefficient homes with inadequate energy services

5. Energy poverty policy in Croatia
No definition of energy poverty
No all-encompassing definition of a vulnerable consumer
Ordinance on criteria for achieving the status of vulnerable grid connected energy consumer was adopted (OG 95/15)
Socially vulnerable and disabled: 200 HRK/month (ca. 26 EUR/month)
Electricity only
Social levy: 3 lipa/kWh (ca. 0.4 Eurocents/kWh)
Suppliers give up on their profit

6. Why is energy poverty different in SEE?
Specific building stock
Significant amount of „socialism” construction
Low-level of thermal insulation of building envelope
Walls, windows, doors
High prevalence of furnace/stove heating
Cultural and social inheritance
Indoor temperatures
Cheap energy
No possibility to regulate consumption

7. NGOs -> advocacy + engaging citizens EU funded projects
What did we do?
NGOs -> advocacy + engaging citizens
EU funded projects
Volunteers visited energy poor households (397 in Sisak-Moslavina County and 50 in City of Zagreb)

8. Importance of engaging citizens
Gathering evidence – field work!
Presenting reality of life to decision makers
Combining science and civic action
Roundtables, conferences, national and regional reports, policy recommendations
Involving academia
Educating and motivating citizens
Media!!!

9. A glimpse into Croatian reality
Analysis of legislation and field work
397 (+50) field visits in Croatia done by volunteers
Country analyses for Croatia and other WB countries available in the Report (over 800 households visited across WB)
Health and socio-economic status + energy aspects of households

10. A glimpse into Croatian reality

11. A glimpse into Croatian reality
Average electricity consumption: kWh/year
In 2012 national average was kWh/year and average for Sisak-Moslavina County was kWh/year*
Average heat consumption: kWh/year
In 2012 national average was kWh /year and average for Sisak-Moslavina County was kWh/year*

12. A glimpse into Croatian reality
Adverse impacts on health!

13. Sending the message - adjusting policy response
Low levels of energy efficiency of dwelling and heating systems: deteriorated buildings
High prevalence od damp and continuous exposure to cold
Draught through widows and doors
Decreased living space in winter
Overall inadequate energy services
Immediate action is needed to enable more people to become active members of society and, by removing adverse health culprits, directly decrease national health care costs.
Investing in the alleviation of energy poverty means improving the economy and decreasing energy import dependency

14. Sending the message - adjusting policy response
The energy efficiency of dwellings and of household appliances, while improving the heating (and cooling) and ventilation systems is the most effective and sustainable approach to alleviating energy poverty
Energy poverty is a cross-sector issue which requires immediate action from both social and energy actors
Energy poverty is a social issue requiring primarily technical energy solutions followed by financial support mechanisms

15. Recommendations
Continue discussions to adopt measurable definitions of energy poverty – at the national, regional and EU level
Develop and adopt national, regional and EU wide indicators for monitoring energy poverty
Undertake detailed analysis of the problem in collaboration with national bureaus of statistics
Improve definitions of vulnerable groups at national, regional and EU level
Energy efficiency as key to solving (energy) poverty

16. Recommendations
Low-cost energy efficiency and energy saving measures
Replacement of household appliances (“old for new”)
Different levels of building retrofitting + heating
Subsidies for energy efficiency: high co-funding + support system for filling out the paperwork
No-interest loans (mainly for deep renovation)
Refurbishment of all state-owned social housing
“Energy literacy” campaigns for vulnerable groups
Civic action and cross- sector collaboration are necessary for success!

21. Thank you for your attention!
Special thanks to all of the volunteers and partners from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Slovenia who have made research possible. Results presented in „Glimpse into reality section” include combined efforts done through projects REACH, REACH CEI as well as South East Europe Sustainable Energy Policy and With knowledge to warm home.
For more information on Energy Poverty in SEE visit
For Croatia (available in Croatian only) visit
Contact:
Slavica Robić, MSc
Program Director at Society for Sustainable Development Design (DOOR)
Trg kralja Petra Krešimira IV. 2, Zagreb, Croatia
T. 01/ E.